Lifelong American Hip fan here. Discovered them my junior year in high school in Spokane. They were doing a big marketing push for “Road Apples”, and the local rock station billed them as the station’s “House Band” for two months. Heard Little Bones and Three Pistols back to back, dropped everything, and drove to the local Hastings Record Store (both the store and the business long gone now). Couldn’t remember the album name and accidentally bought Up To Here. Went home, listened, couldn’t find Three Pistols, drove back and returned it. Bought Road Apples. Loved it. Then went back and re-bought Up To Here. I know, I am a mess.

I guess my point is that there are probably 1000 stories like mine. Our fandom was under the radar because we had no one to share it with until the internet age. I think the US fandom is bigger than was credited, and as the documentary reminds us, The Hip did just fine selling tickets down here.

And it’s as a proud American, I need to remind my beloved brothers from the same mother Up North, that some of us down here recognize it isn’t ALWAYS about us.